Las Vegas casino responsible for scorpion sting to groin, lawsuit claims

A California couple says their sex life is suffering after a man was stung in the testicles by a scorpion while he was sleeping in bed at a Las Vegas Strip casino last year.

Michael and Batia Farchi are accusing The Venetian hotel-casino of negligence for not properly ensuring the cleanliness of a suite in the Palazzo hotel, according to a lawsuit filed Aug. 27 in District Court. The lawsuit alleges that The Venetian resort failed to take proper precautions to “eradicate” poisonous scorpions despite being on “actual and constructive notice” of their presence on the property.

Court documents say that since Michael Farchi, 62, was stung by a scorpion in the groin and hand on Dec. 26, he suffers from PTSD and erectile dysfunction. His wife, Batia Farchi, is also claiming emotional distress as a result, namely “loss of consortium,” the suit alleges. The Farchis are suing for incurred and medical costs, as well as general and punitive damages.

The Venetian did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the lawsuit, Michael Farchi was lying in bed when he began to feel a stinging sensation in his groin area. When he reached down under the covers to inspect the area, he felt multiple stinging sensations in his hand and groin.

When he went to the bathroom, Farchi discovered a scorpion “still attached to his underwear and groin,” the suit said. A picture of the yellowish scorpion in Farchi’s blue boxer shorts went viral on social media.

The suit alleges hotel staff arrived at the room and confirmed the “presence of a deadly scorpion” and Farchi’s injuries. But, rather than help Farchi, the lawsuit said, the employees “merely laughed at him.”

Farchi sought medical attention at Summerlin Hospital, where it was determined he had been poisoned from a scorpion bite/sting, the suit said. Upon returning home to California, Farchi received additional care at UCLA Medical Center.

The suit alleges that The Venetian, which is owned and operated by New York-based Apollo Global Management, had prior knowledge of “infestations of poisonous, deadly scorpions” on the property but “deliberately and recklessly” chose not to remediate the issue.

The Venetian has been undergoing a property-wide $1.5 billion renovation. In addition to updated suites in both The Venetian and Palazzo hotels, the first phase of the Venetian Expo Center renovation was unveiled last month with a price tag of $188 million.

David Danzis can be contacted at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com. Follow AC_Danzis on X.